How I Spent 4/21 Week on Star Princess

[cruisefar]

I just have to tell you how much I enjoyed your review!! You have a great sense of humor and made me laugh several times!!! Thank you for making my day!!

[sueandkent]

Great review, I enjoyed every minute. I never saw the Virgina thing comming. Thanks.

[coka]

Thanks! I am not yet done...still have Private Island and Saturday morning to tell you about! I will finish it tonight...if I can out of this office any time soon! Argh!

Louise

[Clutterlady]

Thanks! I am not yet done...still have Private Island and Saturday morning to tell you about! I will finish it tonight...if I can out of this office any time soon! Argh!

Louise

 

You made my night (toasting you with martini in hand);)

[Water World]

I have not read a book in 10 years and I just read your review from start to finish. Truly loved it !!!!!!!!

[Ula]

Best review I have read. I figured out Virginia early on, but as my HS lit teacher taught us. Use foreshadowing and hints. It was your story to tell, and so far a great ride.

[coka]

Day 7: Princess Cays/ Day 8: Debarkation/Epilogue

 

Our wakeup call was the familiar lowering tender sounds. We had a free show from the balcony each time the tendering began. I had a nicotine hangover. My head hurt, my throat hurt, I was coughing again and I had a dirty ashtray taste in my mouth. So I lit up another to get rid of it all. SIL was surprised that I lasted that long on the trip especially since she was a smoker too. She informed me that she too got the Chantix medication prescription, a new break-through medicine to quit smoking, and planned on beginning the program after her trip. It has worked for two of my sisters, one of my brothers and for cruise critic The OnlyJoie over on the Norwegian boards. The pill does not put nicotine into your system as the gum, patch and lozengers do. Instead, it blocks the brain from reaping the pleasure of smoking. Therefore, one does not crave nicotine or go through withdrawals when trying to quit. One only has to reduce the habit of when one smokes. So, I figure I am going to be okay. I left the remainder of the pack in my cabin upon disembarkation. Well, prior to saying goodbye to the balcony on Saturday morning,, I prayed to my father for him to help me. So far, he has answered my plea.

 

The tender ticket process was in full swing for Princess Cays, the private spot on the island of Eleuthra (sp?) in the Bahamas. A loud husband in the stairwell shouted and argued with his crouching crying wife around the corner. She definitely appeared afraid. I reminded the man he was on vacation, being too loud in the hallway and he needed to work it out. He told me he doubted it and continued to demand his wife come with him. His voice did not sound like the same man who was screaming obscenities inside his cabin to someone else with him one early evening. I called security on that one and did not stick around to find out what happened. What I do know is that people can be arrested on a ship just like they can be arrested at home.

 

Princess Cays has plenty of lounge chairs in the full sun, plenty in the full shade, plenty in-between both and cool cabana ones available for rental. Most of the beach area is to the left of the tender dock. A smaller area is to the right. Part of the walkway is paved so you should be okay if you are in a wheelchair and want to get off the ship. The barbecue began at 11am and went until 2pm. We were first in line before the Bahamian flies arrived as they usually do once food is out for a while. I did not eat any hamburgers/hotdogs but I think I had one rib and a bit of fruit. SIL liked her meal. I can not eat much when I am in the hot humid sun...I did appreciate Princess setting up free water jugs all along the walkways.

 

After eating we saw the pier where swimmers snorkeled, the kid’s area with small playground and very small pool and the shop area displaying trinkets and t-shirts. The lookout tower was semi-closed. It basically is a giant stand with stairs and lookouts. They also had a water rental area where you get floats, snorkels and fins. I saw a few jet skis but not sure if they rented them or if they were for rescue. I saw the Virgin Island teens enjoying the banana boat rides. A few outdoor showers are located along the beach near the walkways. Shaded bar areas, a band area and a volleyball area are also on the island and many enjoyed what Princess Cays offered.

 

Behind the trinket shop areas one can leave the security of Princess Cays and check out the local vendors who sell things from their trucks and makeshift stands. The scene was similar to an outdoor flea market. Something like fleas kept biting my legs back there. I bought two unique hand-made shell bracelets from one artisan and a somewhat matching pair of earrings from another. You know you are paying way too much…8 dollars per bracelet and 5 dollars for the earrings but you really do not want to dicker and negotiate for a dollar or two on such a relaxing day. Besides, once you show the security your cabin card to leave the protected area, you sort of do not want to tick anybody off. Give them what they want!

 

SIL left the island early and I stayed with our new gal friends basking in the sunshine. I finally went swimming all the way for the first time during the week. The last tender back for passengers was at 3pm and we were on the 2:30 one. Not much was going on back at the ship for afternoon activities which is a good thing because everyone should be packing by then or filling out their comment cards. They had dancing lessons, final art auction, final bingo, a Jewish Sabbath Eve service, afternoon tea, and a “Friends of Dr. Bob and Bill W.” meeting. I seriously considered beginning a “Friends of Virginia” group and thought The Star Princess an appropriate godmother.

 

If you live clean all week and put your clothes away neatly, then packing is easy for the trip home. I suggest reading or viewing on television all your options for disembarking the ship. I gave no attention to these details because I was leaving the ship NCL freestyle whether they liked it or not. I do not think they want all of you staying in your cabin until the final call to leave the ship, but if you are respectful and courteous to your cabin steward, give him some shifts off, and tip appropriately at the week’s end, he or she might just allow you to sit in your cabin until the end. Someone’s cabin gets cleaned last, right?

 

For dinner we met up with most of our gal pals and once again told each other we wished we met earlier in the week. If you saw us dining, we were the table where all had tears rolling down the faces from laughing so hard. We all exchanged emails and commitments to cruise together in the future. Making new friends is one of the pleasures of cruising. Although this week seemed more for couples or lovers or fighting spouses, it seemed that those who were meant to know each other found each other.

 

After every cruise I randomly ask 10 passengers what was most memorable about their week. They can not include spending time with friends or family because that is always a given. Below are their responses. Please note I can not find the other two answers nor do I remember them so I hope that other cruise critics on this sailing are able to add in order to make it to ten:

 

45-ish female: Swimming with the Stingrays in Grand Caymen

10 Year old male: The ship!

50-ish female: Horseback riding in Cozumel

Couple in their 50’s: Helmut dive in Cozumel

Couple in the 40’s: ATV ride in Cozumel

SIL: Eating the crab legs and all other meals on board

 

Disembarking the ship was very easy and we did not wait in any lines. They take your cabin card where other lines let you keep it as a souvenir. Getting a cab to the airport was very easy but the driver reminded us that most ships had already gone to other oceans. My SIL and I were ready to return home after a week of great beaches, great sun, great fun, and great people we met along the way. We began our talks about the next cruise.

 

Epilogue:

 

On Saturday we were off the ship by 9:15am and waited at the airport for our 3pm flight. It was there that we began this review. We saved our Princess Patters and reminisced about the week. I am sure there is probably more to tell, but you will have to wait for the unedited version years from now. Thank you all for allowing me to re-live my week in order to make it all last longer. When I turn 80, I will dust off the journals and reminisce about the good old days of cruising. If anyone has questions, then please feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer them.

 

Lastly, this review is dedicated to the heroic employees during the Star Princess fire 2006.

 

Coka

[kaseyoz]

ahh that terrible word "LASTLY".....

 

 

what will we all do now???

 

karon

[Seal]

I loved it--I also quit smoking and I'm always thinking how nice it would be to have a cigarette--I smoked for 30 years--alot--depending how long I was awake.

 

Good Luck

 

Thank you again

 

Nancy:D

[Clutterlady]

Thanks Coka.....so what are your future cruise plans?? Will need a Coka review fix in the near future:)

[julia]

Louise:

 

By chance is your SIL named Thelma?! :)

 

So glad you left Virginia on the ship... she's a fickle b**** who really doesn't have your best interest at heart. Who needs friends like that anyway?

 

Thanks for the chuckles....

[Lynda90]

Thank you so much for all the effort and time you put into this wonderful review.

[beckntom]

So now could you just write a daily dairy and tell us what you're doing in everyday life? I'm betting that would be just about as entertaining!

 

Fess up--do you write professionally? I'm hoping you do and are earning the big bucks to cruise often! Thanks for taking the time and trouble to entertain us so thoroughly!

 

Becky

[happyscot]

I've had Virginia ten thousand times and she still satisifies. Lovely butt............:D

[coka]

Thank you for the kind words! I began writing my cruise critic reviews in this manner a few years ago. They are somewhere in the archives. On cold wintery evenings when I am stuck at home, I pull them up and for some good memories.

 

Julia, my stepson lives in San Diego...beautiful city...I learned while visiting him in February that I could not smoke on the beach! I thought our state laws were tough...!

 

Seal, I did invite people sitting alone in Skywalkers to join us. One gal was 22 and she was having a horrible time as we concluded she was the only 20-something on board that week!

 

Ula, You get an A+

 

Clutterlady, I have no future cruise plans because this summer I am heading to Sarajevo, Bosnia to visit my sister. I tried talking her into a Mediterranean cruise, but bike-riding the coastline of Croatia and her islands won out.

 

Beckntom, I am not a professional writer. Your compliments, as well as others from the Norwegian boards have encouraged me.

 

If you are interested in reading about my 27th cruise on the Norwegian Jewel, then click below (not sure if link will work). I tell what I did each day and give a comprehensive review on their new menus

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=447828

 

I will try to dig up other reviews.

 

THANK YOU ALL, ONCE AGAIN!

coka

[coka]

Water World, these are for you:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=340621&highlight=norwegian+spirit

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=310064&highlight=mariner+seas

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=247317&highlight=norwegian+sun

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=143367&highlight=carnival+victory

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=105153&highlight=norwegian+sun

 

Who knew there is an advanced search on cruisecritic? I am off to find more!

 

Coka

[cruisefar]

bump. Had to bump this because I thought it was so funny!!!

[dakodacruiser]

What a joy to read your adventures! I almost forgot why I started coming to these boards.

[snorklinbarb]

Hi coka,

 

Thank goodness you mentioned being on Princess in Apr. so a quick search in your profile for other posts brought me here. Shame on you for not posting a link!;):D:D You know I don't want to miss another one of your reviews!

 

Next for us is a 4 nighter on the QM2 over Labor Day (late traditional seating - yikes!) followed by the new Gem out of NYC Jan. 16, 2008.

 

Hope our paths truly cross someday in the big ocean.:)

 

And good luck w/Virginia. She's a tempermental sort I'm told.:eek:

[coka]

Hi Snorklin! You are the trendsetter...blazing the trail for the rest of us! I am so far behind that I am looking at NCL Dawn for the first time (2 day trip to nowhere out of NYC)! I want to go just to meet the cruisecritics in person!

Coka

[Mshusky]

Coka,

I too was on this 4/21 Star Princess Cruise. I was married on her on Embarkmant Day. I was wondering what happened with that Jamica Wedding.

Just reading what you wrote here brings back my wonderful experience. This was my first cruise and I loved it. I was so bummed when we did not make Jamica. It was the only port we had excursions set. Then it was too late to book another excursion of the same at the other islands. I hated Cosumel. Couldn't wait to get back to the ship. Too many people bugging you to buy things. The food in the Dining room was better than the buffet, I thought anyways. Yes, I was on the 15th deck next to pool bar witnessing the guy bailing out of the water..... The last day at Princess Cay was my best. It was a great Wedding and Honeymoon too. Thanks for reliving my vacation too! I thought the shows were great. Leah and Cass were great too!

[coka]

Congratulations Mshusky! I remember seeing a beautiful bride on embarkation day/sailaway so I am sure it was you! I bet your pictures were fabulous! I think you need to book a future anniversary cruise...?!

Coka

[zimmerjulie]

I am posting to this wonderful classic coka-style review and thread to bring it back up to the top where it can be seen again

 

AND

 

to announce that this fine lady is one of the five finalists in an NCL contest to be selected as GODMOTHER OF THE NORWEGIAN GEM!!!!

 

If you liked this review (ha! of course you did!) go to www.gemitgirl.com and vote for COKA!!!